Top 10 Kickass Female Protagonists

Books and movies are full of ass-kicking male heroes (James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher…I could go on…) and I love them, I do, but what about the women? The damsel-in-distress type has her own charms, of course, but how about some of the ladies who take a rather more active approach to saving her own hide?

The heroine of my novel A Beautiful Heist is a regular girl next door–a little bit Bridget Jones, a little bit Carrie Bradshaw–but she also has a serious tough side to her, and can kick some major butt when she needs to. And, as a career criminal, she frequently finds herself needing to.

Today I want to honor some of the strong, scrappy, smart heroines who have come before Cat Montgomery, and provided inspiration in one way or another. There are many more than these, of course, but here are ten of the best:

1. La Femme Nikita

(and all her resurrected, reimagined forms eg. Claudia/Nina in Point of No Return)

La Femme Nikita

2. Sidney Bristow (Alias)

Sidney Bristow

3. Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Elizabeth Swann

4. Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

Katniss Everdeen

5. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

Lara Croft

6. Eowyn (The Lord of The Rings)

Eowyn

7. Stephanie Plum (One For The Money, et al)

Stephanie Plum

8. Ellen Ripley (Alien)

Ellen Ripley

9. Evelyn Salt (Salt)

Evelyn Salt

10. Sarah Connor (Terminator)

Sarah Connor

So tell me, who is your favorite kickass female heroine? Who else do you think I should have included in my list, here?